Chapter 168: Ethan Prescott Gets the Cold Shoulder

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Ethan Prescott Gets the Cold Shoulder

"Mm-hmm! That’s wonderful!" Sophia Quinn’s face instantly lit up when she heard Chloe agree.

"This just goes to show that having a daughter is the best. They’re so thoughtful. See? My little sweetheart agreed, so Mommy will be waiting to see you every weekend."

"Alright!"

Miss Prescott was happy too, and she quickly added, "Chloe, you must take good care of yourself at school. Make sure you eat and sleep on a regular schedule. Don’t neglect your needs. If you’re missing anything, call home anytime. I’ll get it ready for you, or I’ll just have the driver pick you up."

"Okay!"

Chloe York didn’t mention that she wasn’t actually living at school, but was renting an apartment off-campus.

But if she told them, she was afraid the two of them would immediately offer to buy her a place nearby.

Just then, a sudden noise came from the staircase, and Ethan Prescott walked down with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Chloe York froze in shock the moment she saw Ethan Prescott. She never expected him to be home. ’Did he get back last night? Or has he been here this whole time?’

"Mom, Grandma, I’m heading to school with Chloe."

Ethan Prescott announced as he walked up to the three of them.

He had actually been upstairs the whole time. He hadn’t expected Chloe York to visit this weekend, and since he knew she didn’t want to see him, he had stayed in his room.

He’d even had the staff bring his meals up to him.

Now that he heard she was leaving, he decided to leave with her.

Hearing Ethan Prescott’s words, Chloe York’s immediate reaction was to refuse, but someone else was quicker.

Namely, Miss Prescott and Sophia Quinn.

"That won’t be necessary. Your routes aren’t the same," Sophia Quinn said, waving her hand dismissively, unwilling to say more.

"That’s right. If your routes are different, why go together?" Miss Prescott immediately chimed in.

"How could our routes be different? We both go to Southbend University!" Ethan Prescott explained to Miss Prescott and Sophia Quinn. ’He’d already told them he and Chloe went to the same school, so how could it possibly not be on the way?’

"How could you and Chloe possibly be heading the same way? You’re going to the men’s dormitory, and our Chloe is going to the women’s dormitory. You tell me, how is that on the same route?"

Miss Prescott hadn’t realized that was what her daughter-in-law meant. ’She’d thought Sophia was saying that the two young people’s lives were no longer on the same path.’

But she knew she had to back Sophia Quinn up. "She’s right. Your dorms aren’t the same, so how could it be the same route?"

’He couldn’t believe how unreasonable his own mother and grandmother were being.’

’Aren’t the men’s and women’s dorms on the same campus?’

Even Chloe York was surprised by Sophia Quinn’s amusing remark. She almost laughed out loud but managed to suppress it just in time.

Ethan Prescott took a deep breath. ’Alright, fine. I’m clearly the one out of favor now.’

’His mom and grandma were treating him like the enemy.’

"Chloe, I’ll have the family driver take you to school!"

"Okay!" Chloe York didn’t refuse, as it was difficult to hail a cab in this area.

When they walked Chloe York to the door, it wasn’t the usual golf cart waiting, but a black sedan parked right at the entrance.

"Chloe, you have to remember to come back and see us often."

"I will."

Chloe York waved and got into the car. To her surprise, just as she was settling in, Ethan Prescott followed her inside.

"Chloe, Mom, Grandma, all the other family drivers have the day off. There’s only one driver left, so we have to take the same car. Besides, if I go too, I can keep Chloe from getting bored. It would be so awkward for her to be in the car with just the driver!"

Ethan Prescott scrambled to find an excuse.

Admittedly, his reason was a bit of a stretch.

Sophia Quinn and Miss Prescott looked at Chloe York, leaving the decision up to her.

Chloe York didn’t say anything. ’Ethan Prescott is a member of the Prescott family; he has every right to ride in this car.’

"Chloe, rest assured, from now on, there will absolutely be multiple drivers available on Sundays," Sophia Quinn guaranteed.

Chloe York didn’t know how to respond, so she simply waved and said, "Goodbye, Grandma, Auntie."

"Goodbye!"

As she watched the car disappear into the distance, Sophia Quinn sighed. "He should have acted this way from the start. What’s the point of pestering her now?"

"I know. You and Arthur are both so smart, how did you end up with a son who’s so dense?" Miss Prescott couldn’t understand it either.

They both shook their heads, and Sophia Quinn helped Miss Prescott turn and head back into the house.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the car was silent. Ethan Prescott snuck a sideways glance at Chloe York’s expressionless profile and decided to break the silence.

"Chloe, was your stay at the Prescott home comfortable this weekend? If there’s anything missing from your room, just let me know, and I’ll get it for you right away."

Silence. Utter silence. Chloe York simply pretended she hadn’t heard him.

But Ethan wasn’t giving up. This was a rare opportunity to be with her on peaceful terms, and he had to try and turn things around, even just a little.

"Then again, Mom and Grandma prepared everything so thoroughly, you probably aren’t missing anything. If there’s nothing you need, is there anything you want?"

’He’s so noisy,’ Chloe York thought. She figured if she didn’t respond at all, he would probably just keep talking forever. Without turning her head from the window, she offered a perfunctory reply. "I’m not missing anything. It’s fine."

Hearing Chloe York actually respond, Ethan Prescott—who had expected more silence—beamed. "It’s no problem. If you ever need anything, you can always tell me, and I’ll get it for you. Oh, and if you need any help at school, you can call me for that too. I’m available anytime."

"No, thank you. I can handle it myself," Chloe York rejected him once more.

Then Ethan Prescott remembered something else. He quickly pulled an elegantly packaged box from his pocket and offered it to Chloe York. "Chloe, I bought you a dessert. I seem to remember you used to like this brand. It’s still warm. Want to try it?"

"No, thank you. I’m not hungry."

After being met with cold indifference several times in a row, the smile on Ethan Prescott’s face began to falter. The dessert box hovered awkwardly in his hand, and his heart filled with disappointment, but he still wasn’t ready to give up.

"Chloe, I—"

"Ethan Prescott, you’re so annoying!" Chloe York cut him off. ’He’s acting just like the original Chloe used to.’

The smile on Ethan Prescott’s face froze. He fell silent, just staring blankly at Chloe York.

"Can you just be quiet?" Chloe York added.

"Okay. I’ll be quiet. I won’t talk anymore. Chloe, you get some rest."

Chloe York closed her eyes. She found Ethan Prescott’s deliberate attempts to win her over to be nothing but a hassle. All she wanted was to get back to campus as soon as possible and end this awkward ride.

Ethan Prescott watched her cold, distant profile. Though his heart ached with disappointment, he also felt a glimmer of happiness.

’At the very least, Chloe actually spoke several sentences to me just now!’

When the car finally slowed to a stop at the university gate, Chloe York didn’t hesitate for a second. She immediately pushed the door open, grabbed her belongings, and got out without a single word to Ethan Prescott.

Ethan Prescott sat in the car, watching her determined figure walk away, and finally understood how Chloe must have felt when she was the one watching his back.

Looking at the dessert box in his hand, Ethan Prescott made a silent vow. No matter how cold Chloe York was to him, he would not give up. One day, he would get her to be the way she used to be.